honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor.
2.
a source of credit or distinction: to be an honor to one's family.
3.
high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor.
4.
such respect manifested: a memorial in honor of the dead.
5.
high public esteem; fame; glory: He has earned his position of honor.
6.
the privilege of being associated with or receiving a favor from a respected person, group, organization, etc.: to have the honor of serving on a prize jury; I have the honor of introducing this evening's speaker.
7.
Usually, honors.evidence, as a special ceremony, decoration, scroll, or title, of high rank, dignity, or distinction: political honors; military honors.
8.
(initial capital letter) a deferential title of respect, esp. for judges and mayors (prec. by His, Her, Your, etc.).
9.
honors,
a.
special rank or distinction conferred by a university, college, or school upon a student for eminence in scholarship or success in some particular subject.
b.
an advanced course of study for superior students. Compare honors course.
Bridge. any of the five highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten in the trump suit, or any of the four aces in a no-trump contract. Compare honor trick.
b.
Whist. any of the four highest trump cards, as an ace, king, queen, or jack in the trump suit.
12.
Golf. the privilege of teeing off before the other player or side, given after the first hole to the player or side that won the previous hole.
–verb (used with object)
13.
to hold in honor or high respect; revere: to honor one's parents.
14.
to treat with honor.
15.
to confer honor or distinction upon: The university honored him with its leadership award.
16.
to worship (the Supreme Being).
17.
to show a courteous regard for: to honor an invitation.
18.
Commerce. to accept or pay (a draft, check, etc.): All credit cards are honored here.
19.
to accept as valid and conform to the request or demands of (an official document).
20.
(in square dancing) to meet or salute with a bow.
–adjective
21.
of, pertaining to, or noting honor.
—Idioms
22.
be on or upon one's honor, to accept and acknowledge personal responsibility for one's actions: West Point cadets are on their honor not to cheat on an exam.
23.
do honor to,
a.
to show respect to.
b.
to be a credit to: Such good students would do honor to any teacher.
24.
do the honors, to serve or preside as host, as in introducing people, or carving or serving at table: Father did the honors at the family Thanksgiving dinner.
Origin: 1150–1200; (n.) ME (h)on(o)ur < AF (OF (h)onor, onur) < L honōr- (s. of honor, earlier honōs); (v.) ME < AF (h)on(o)urer < L honōrāre, deriv. of honor
Related forms:
hon⋅or⋅er, noun
hon⋅or⋅less, adjective
Synonyms: 1.probity, uprightness. Honor,honesty,integrity,sincerity refer to the highest moral principles and the absence of deceit or fraud. Honor denotes a fine sense of, and a strict conformity to, what is considered morally right or due: a high sense of honor; on one's honor. Honesty denotes the presence of probity and particularly the absence of deceit or fraud, esp. in business dealings: uncompromising honesty and trustworthiness. Integrity indicates a soundness of moral principle that no power or influence can impair: a man of unquestioned integrity and dependability. Sincerity implies absence of dissimulation or deceit, and a strong adherence to truth: His sincerity was evident in every word. 3.deference, homage; reverence, veneration. Honor,consideration,distinction refer to the regard in which one is held by others. Honor suggests a combination of liking and respect: His colleagues held him in great honor. Consideration suggests honor because of proved worth: a man worthy of the highest consideration. Distinction suggests particular honor because of qualities or accomplishments: She achieved distinction as a violinist at an early age. 5.distinction. 13.esteem, venerate.
High respect, as that shown for special merit; esteem: the honor shown to a Nobel laureate.
Good name; reputation.
A source or cause of credit: was an honor to the profession.
Glory or recognition; distinction.
A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table.
A military decoration.
A title conferred for achievement.
Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.
A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.
A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.
A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
Glory or recognition; distinction.
A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction: the place of honor at the table.
A military decoration.
A title conferred for achievement.
Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.
A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.
A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.
A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
High rank.
The dignity accorded to position: awed by the honor of his office.
Great privilege: I have the honor to present the governor.
Honor Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for certain officials, such as judges and mayors: Her Honor the Mayor.
Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.
A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.
A woman's chastity or reputation for chastity.
Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.
A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
honors Social courtesies offered to guests: did the honors at tea.
honors
Special recognition for unusual academic achievement: graduated from college with honors.
A program of advanced study for exceptional students: planned to take honors in history.
Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
Sports The right of being first at the tee in golf.
Games
Any of the four or five highest cards, especially the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the trump suit, in card games such as bridge or whist.
The points allotted to these cards. Often used in the plural.
tr.v.
hon·ored, hon·or·ing, hon·ors
To hold in respect; esteem.
To show respect for.
To bow to (another dancer) in square dancing: Honor your partner.
To confer distinction on: He has honored us with his presence.
To accept or pay as valid: honor a check; a store that honors all credit cards.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin.] hon'or·er n.
Synonyms: These nouns denote admiration, respect, or esteem accorded to another as a right or as due. Honor is the most general term: The hero tried to be worthy of the honor in which he was held. Homage is often in the form of a ceremonial tribute that conveys allegiance: "There is no country in which so absolute a homage is paid to wealth" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Reverence is a feeling of deep respect and devotion: "Kill reverence and you've killed the hero in man" (Ayn Rand). Veneration is both the feeling and the reverential expression of respect, love, and awe: Her veneration for her mentor never wavered. Deference is courteous, respectful regard for another that often implies yielding to him or her: The funeral was arranged with deference to the family of the deceased.
c.1200, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-Fr. honour, from O.Fr. honor, from L. honorem (nom. honos) "honor, dignity, office, reputation," of unknown origin. Till 17c., honour and honor were equally frequent; the former now preferred in England, the latter in U.S. by infl. of Noah Webster's spelling reforms. Meaning "a woman's chastity" first attested 1390. The verb is recorded from c.1290 in sense of "to do honor to;" in the commercial sense of "accept a bill due, etc.," it is recorded from 1706. Honorarium "honorary reward" (1658), was, in L., "bribe paid to get appointed to an honorary post."
Main Entry: hon·or Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: hon·ored; hon·or·ing 1: to accept and pay honored the check> 2: to purchase or discount (a draft) in compliance with a letter of credit
[on-er] 
) a deferential title of respect, esp. for judges and mayors (prec. by His, Her, Your, etc.).